Local & Regional

7:47 am

Mon May 16, 2011

Foster Care Lawsuit

(Information in the following story is from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com)

TULSA, Okla. (AP) A lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Human Services has run up $4.2 million in fees to private lawyers who are defending the state against allegations its foster care system is rife with substandard care.

The suit was filed in 2008 by the group Children's Rights, which has filed more than a dozen similar suits in other states. The New York-based advocacy organization claims the state is placing children in danger because its system can't handle the number of children who need homes.

The Tulsa World reports DHS spokeswoman Sheree Powell says the claims in the suit don't have merit, but the agency still has to defend itself.

DHS faces a budget shortfall of $39 million next year and may have to cut staffin